Systecon carries out CV90 track cost analysis

Swedish consulting and software company Systecon is carrying out work to analyse the life cycle cost of two different track systems for the Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) on behalf of vehicle manufacturer, BAE Systems. The study will look at the economic impact of rubber versus traditional steel tracks.

The six user countries of the CV90 requested the study of BAE Systems, which in turn engaged Systecon to participate in the project that compares the life cycle costs of the two different track options.

Fitting combat vehicles in this weight class with rubber tracks significantly reduces vibration and noise both inside and outside of the vehicle, however it places different demands on maintenance, operation and support services.

For the analysis, a cost structure was built where all costs related to the two track options were included and summarised for the entire life cycle of the vehicle. According to Systecon, replacing the steel tracks with rubber tracks means an additional cost, but also long-term savings in terms of reduced failure rate on the vehicle’s components, thanks to the reduction of vibrations. A major challenge in the analysis is to quantify the indirect parameters, such as negative impact on the crew due to the vehicle’s vibrations.

Peder Sjölund, project manager at BAE Systems, said: ‘This study is important for us to be able to show the pros and cons of our rubber track technology in comparison to traditional steel track technology. The intention is that this analysis will serve as a good basis for decisions for our customers in discussions about purchase of rubber tracks. It is very exciting to be working together with Systecon and using their expertise to perform a thorough analysis of direct and indirect costs from a life cycle perspective. Above all, it is interesting to use Systecon’s tools to analyze the different solutions in different operating scenarios to understand how the different band options affect our customers over a long period.’

The work is being conducted in collaboration with experts from BAE Systems. The processing and analysis of data is done in Systecon´s own optimisation tool OPUS10, simulation tool SIMLOX and the results will be analysed in the cost analysis program CATLOC.